Memories in a meal

Puneetinder Sidhu

The notion of comfort food is no longer in dispute. It exists; everyone has at least one, and nostalgia is its key ingredient. I have two — Bansi’s Macaroni and Pash Di Khichdi. They borrow their names from family retainers who made the best version of the two dishes. Or so I’d like to believe.

One, a baked casserole of the elbow-shaped pasta in Bechamel sauce garnished with boiled egg halves under a perfectly browned layer of grated cheddar. The other, a wholesome one-pot rice and lentil wonder loaded with whole-spice tempered winter vegetables, liberally spooned over with desi ghee. It’s sort of a kitchen garden version of the Anglo-Indian pish-pash, which mostly employs the use of chicken and its stock. Bansi and Pash are not among us anymore. Yet no winter goes by without them being affectionately invoked whenever one of us siblings attempts to recreate these mouthwatering memories of childhood. Nostalgia has also, since the past couple years, become one of the top food trends in professional spaces. Restaurant menus are replete with grandma’s recipes; chefs are resurrecting heirloom dishes; traditional ingredients are being actively revived. It is, as The Carpenters so melodiously put it, Yesterday Once More.

Progressive nostalgia is how the minds that came up with Prankster F&B Campus three years ago define their version of it. Styled around a college campus, their expansive restaurant in Gurugram is peppered with quirky flourishes from that incredibly carefree phase of life. Classic indoor and outdoor features have been incorporated as witty design elements. Remember sitting around on two-wheelers, chatting ceaselessly? Lingering over hot chai in canteen? Escaping prying eyes in cosy corners? Trying to blow up the chem-lab? Having recently tooted their way to Chandigarh, Prankster had me re-living those wonder years in the most delicious way possible. Despite their dichotomous nature, the menu does a fine job of presenting both nostalgia and novelty on the same plate.

Without diluting any of the sophistication of taste their Corporate Chef, Harangad Singh, is known to bring to his re-imaginings. Case in point, the Sambhar Cappuccino and Dosai Crisp are squeal-worthy avatars of the soggy canteen dosa and watery sambhar of yore. The Sharma Ji Inspired Hot Dog, Vivek High School Tomato Soup, and Mama’s Aloo Paneer Sandwich are all appetizing recollections of a time much longed for. I suspect it’s going to witness many a reunion in the days ahead!

The United Coffee House Rewind, on the other hand, quietly sashayed into town, its unhurried old world charm in tow. An old Connaught Place warhorse, it started life in 1942 as a colonial-era hangout selling street snacks. The famed Daryaganj Samosa, Keema Samosa, Lahore Meat, and English Fish & Chips hark back to those early years. By the sixties, this, Delhi’s first café, had built up an impressive repertoire of European, Old Delhi and Frontier specials, Anglo-Indian cuisine and British club food. The Tomato Fish, Stroganoffs, a la Kievs and Cacciatores took centrestage, and established its reputation as a fine-dining destination.

Over time, changing palates demanded Asian, Mexican and Mediterranean inclusions, but the menu continues to pay simultaneous homage to their culinary heritage. My own memories of the place sharpen from a decade-long stay in Delhi during the 90s, many an afternoon of which was spent tucking into a hearty railway mutton curry or slurping on lamb chops under the glittering chandelier. Did you know United Coffee House was — perhaps still is — Delhi’s go-to for matchmaking purposes? I suppose it makes sense. Regardless of which way the prospect goes, nobody leaves with a bad taste in their mouth.